Steamer for culinary purposes.



PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903.

M. A. SHAUMAN.

STEAMBR, FOR CULINARY PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNTTTn STATES ATET Tron.

MARY A. SHAUMAN, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

STEAIVIER FOR CULINARY PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,153, dated March 3,1903.

Application filed March 22, 1902. Serial No. 99,527. (No model.

To (tZZ whom it may cancer-T1 Be it known that I, MARY A. SHAUMAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Benton Harbor,in the county ofBerrien and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steamers for Culinary Purposes, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to a steamer that may be used in a numberof different ways for cooking a variety of articles of food, but whichis particularly adapted for cooking fruit after it is put in the jars,cans, or other vessels in which it is to be preserved for future use.Cooking the fruit in these preserving vessels has many advantages overcooking it in bulk in a kettle or the like and then when the cooking iscomplete filling the preserving vessels with it. The principal advantageis that the breaking of the fruit incident to handling it after it hasbeen softened in the process of cooking is entirely obviated. Plums,damsons, cherries, apricots, peaches, &c., may be preserved whole andwith the skin on without even breaking the skin, and other fruits fromwhich the skin has been removed may be cooked whole or in halves orother large pieces without being broken. When thus kept intact, thepreserved fruit is very much more attractive in appearance than it wouldbe if broken and marred. Another advantage in cooking the fruit in thepreserving vessels is that it is very much easier to fill the vesselswith the raw fruit than it is to fill them with the cooked fruit whileit is boiling hot, and the besmearing of the preserving vessels, thestove, the table, &c., incident to the latter process is obviated.Furthermore, it obviates the danger of overcooking incident to allowingthe large kettle to remain on the stove while the preserving vessels arebeing filled from it or the danger of its cooling before the entirebatch can be put into the preserving vessels and sealed if the kettleis" removed from the stove the instant the cooking is completed. Then,again, after the cooking is completed the comparatively small preservingvessels containing it can be handled with less liability to accidentthan can a large kettle. Still another advantage is that much of theflavor which is lost when the fruit is cooked in a large kettle her andthe top of the water-chamber, said diaphragm having through it anopening adapted to receive an inwardly-oifset'flange of a ring havingashoulder which rests upon the diaphragm, and a perforated disk locatedwithin the ring and supported by said shoulder, the arrangement beingsuch that when parts are assembled the ring will constitute a flangeprojecting upward from the diaphragm which will confine the steam toclose contact with the bottom and sides of the preserving vessel afterit enters the steam-chamber and while it is at the highest temperature.This is important, as it expedites the cooking, and this is desirablenot only from the standpoint of economy of time and fuel, but alsobecause perfection in preserving some fruits requires that they becooked quickly.

The invention consists in the features of novelty that are hereindescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, Figure 1 isa perspective view of the improved steamer with the dome of thesteam-chamber elevated. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof, taken in aplane extending diagonally from corner to corner. Fig. 3 is a plan viewof the base.

A represents the base, which is adapted to rest upon the stove and whichhas a chamber B, adapted to contain water, and O is the diaphragm, whichforms the bottom of the steam-chamber D and which preferably ispermanently secured to the walls of the base some distance from the top,so that a portion E of said base in the nature of a flange projectsabove it. This flange forms the lower portion of the walls of thesteam-chamber D and also forms a seat for the removable dome F, whichcompletes the steam-chamber. I The dome has imperforate top and sidewalls, and at the bottom the side walls are offset inwardly to provide aflange G, which slips inside of the flange E, and a shoulder H, whichseats upon the flange E, thereby forming a practically steam-tightjoint. The advantage in having the flange G inside of the flangeE isthat water of condensation trickling down the walls of the dome will runinto the base and not onto the stove, as some of it would if the flangeE were inside.

It is immaterial what the size of the steamer is or how many preservingvessels it has provision for. In the drawings I have shown a steamerhaving provision forfour vessels, one of which is shown at I. For eachvessel a ring J is provided, said ring being formed with aninwardly-offset flange L, which enters an opening of corresponding sizein the diaphragm C, so that the ringis removable. The ofiset of the ringresults in a shoulder M, which rests upon the diaphragm and which inturn supports a disk 0, having through it perforations K for permittingsteam to pass upward and in contact with the vessel. The advantage ofthis removable ring carrying the perforated disk is that it'gives accessto the water-chamber for cleaning purposes, and in addition to this thelarge opening through the diaphragm afiords means for quickly fillingsaid chamber. I prefer, however, to provide the chamber with afilling-tube N, which is permanently secured in an opening through thediaphragm and which is closed by a suitable stopper 0.

When it is not desirable or necessary to use the steamerias abovedescribed, it may be used as other culinary steamers are used. The foodto be cooked may be placed in the steam-chamber either loose or insuitable vessels or other containing devices without regard to thedescribed use of the flanges.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A culinary steamer having, in combination a steam-chamber and awater-chamber including a diaphragm which forms the bottom of one andthe top of the other, said diaphragm having through it an opening, aring having an inwardly-ofiset portion resultingin a flange occupyingthe opening of the diaphragm and a shoulder resting upon the diaphragm,and a perforated disk arranged within the ring and supported by theshoulder aforesaid, whereby when the parts are assembled the ring willform a flange rising from the diaphragm and adapted to surround acontaining vessel, substantially as described.

MARY A. SI-IAUMAN.

Witnesses:

ANNA R. MORLEY, JOHN H. HERR.

